Infinite Legends
by 6BlackHand9
Summary: When faced with a challenge, she wasn't the one to face it head on. However, she soon finds herself in the midst of a problem because of her. She turns to old friends, but can they save her from fate itself?
1. Prologue

Prologue

There was light.

It lifted its head, blinking in surprise. It immediately realized something was very different. The fact that it could see was a salient point. Where It resided, the darkness was so thick other twisted creatures often choked on it. Here, the sunlight shined on a luscious sea of grass. Trees, almost as tall as It was, surrounded the grassy plain, forming a protective barrier and It was in right smack in the middle of it. This shouldn't be. It lived in a dark realm, a land where sunlight never reached. This... This place was similar to the human's realm. A few yards away, a jay blissfully whistled its melodious tune.

"Welcome."

It slowly turned to the voice. Just as It suspected, the voice came from a human. An elderly man stood not ten yards away; a bluish hue enveloped the man signifying to It that he was a spirit. The spirit's scent wafted toward It. The essences of each element in single harmony declaimed who this spirit was.

It bared its teeth in disgust, "Avatar."

The spirit nodded, "I was, once. Now my only duty is to lead the new Avatar to the right path." The spirit paused, thoughtful, "I have brought you here in hopes that you might be able to aid me with a problem. A very unfortunate one."

This was entertainingly ironic. It let out a low chuckle, folding its legs beneath it, "A request made by the Avatar to me? Certainly this must be a mistake. I am but a lowly guardian. At least, I used to be." A twinge of annoyance picked at his mind, " Surely, the Avatar has much better use for his time than to drag me out of my realm and request favors of me." It growled deeply.

"You are not bound to your abilities by the earthly realm." the spirit continued smoothly, "You, by these standards, are much more powerful than I am at the moment."The spirit bowed his head respectfully, surprising It, "I understand that you were keeper of balance in the human's realm once, the guardian of earth's balance before even Avatars came to be. I am in need of your abilities to keep the peace once more."

It narrowed its eyes, " Surely my current state is of no use to you." It replied, suspicious of the spirit's position. It spread its wings, which were tattered and torn. Long ago, It's flesh had peeled away, leaving only It's bones. The essence of darkness was permanently latched onto It after a near eternity of residing in the darkest of lands, "Perhaps in a different age, years ago, but I am...wearied. Besides, I see no practical reason for why I should aid you." It knows, no matter what It does, It will always return to the dark realms.

"I can release you." the spirit said simply.

It tensed, understanding what the spirit meant. Surely he could not hold such power over these matters. Yet...

Resigned, It slowly stood to its feet, towering over the spirit. It's head dropped until it was only a foot from the spirit's face.

"What must I do?"


	2. Chapter 1: Forsaken

_*Sorry, sort of screwed up the first chapter so hopefully this'll put things right. It's not a big deal, it'll only affect this chapter. Keep Reading!_

Forsaken

Nothing was worse than hearing her mother beg for her.

She was only a child, yet the intensity of the anger prickled underneath her skin like an army of fire ants crawling across her thin body. Perhaps it was the rise of the temperature, ever so increasing as the powerful fire bender threatened her mother.

"Please, my lord."Her mother's voice shook as she was down on her knees, bowing to the menacing fire lord, "She's only a child, I cannot leave her. She has no where else to go."

The man got to his feet, his golden eyes burning like the flames that lit the large hall, "I bring you here in hopes that you might be of some use to me. Now you bring only more burdens? Surely there are other servants who can complete these tasks without having to worry about children." the man's voice was like ice, despite the fact that he could fire bend. The young girl wasn't sure what he meant, but she knew that she was the cause of his anger.

She could see her mother begin to panic, her fists clenching against the stone floor, "Please, my lord. I need this position. I...I solemnly promise that she won't be a problem. She does what she's told and doesn't ask for much. I beg of you, my lord." Her mother's eyes fearfully climbed up until she met gazes with the fire bender, "I will do what it takes."

A cold silence filled the room. The young girl surreptitiously studied the man's expression. She had never seen such a cold look on a person's face. His eyes reminded her of the eyes of a catgator she once saw by the swamps. By now, she was sure he would reject her mother. Mercilessly cast them off into the streets where they so often slept on. A few tears slid down her cheek as she recalled her mother's efforts to get this close to a position that could sustain them for more than a few days. Sleepless nights about to be wasted and there was nothing she could do.

"Ozai."

Everyone turned to the voice at the corner of the large hall. A woman stepped quickly next to the child, placing a hand on her shoulder. _This must be his wife, s_he realized, looking up at the stately woman. Her robes were long and soft, most likely made of an expensive material.

The woman held a strong demeanor, "Ozai, I will care for the child's needs." she stated, looking at the dangerous in the eyes. It wasn't an offer, it was a statement. The man, Ozai, narrowed his eyes.

"You will take responsibility for the girl?" he repeated skeptically, "You will supply food and sleeping arrangements? This is quite generous, even for you." The last sentence sounded somewhat like a sneer. The woman lifted her chin defiantly.

"I will feed and and bed her as she gradually learns how to work as a servant. Once old enough, she could be a potential servant." she retorted, "One worth keeping." Ozai allowed her offer to sink in for a few minutes. The room was still the duration of his thought process. What he was thinking about, only the fire bender himself would know. That fact terrified the child.

"Very well, Ursa." he declaimed suddenly, "The girl will be under your watch. Just keep her out of my way." With that, the man returned to his seat at the top of the risen area where his seat took its place. Shaking with relief, the girl's mother bowed even lower.

"Thank you! Thank you, my lord!" She quickly backed out of the way and headed toward the door that led out of hall. Then she paused, remembering her six year old child. More tears flowed out of the young girl, tears of sadness and tears of joy. This was what hey were praying for for years. Her mother now has a stable job that could support her and her saddened daughter. Ursa, the fire bender's wife, quietly stepped out of the way as her mother quickly made her way toward her daughter. She wrapped her thin arms around her daughter.

"Mommy..." the girl sobbed quietly, pressing her head against her mother's shoulder. The gaunt woman put her lips by the child's ear.

"Please, child." she whispered, "Do not resist and do as they ask. Refuse and they could banish me, even kill me. Do you want that?" The thought terrified the child.

"No. Mommy, stay." she whimpered, tightly gripping her mother's hand. She quickly slipped out of her grip and leaned away.

"Then do not fight back, for the sake of me and you."

With that, her mother turned her back and half-run half-walked out of the hall. The child watched as her mother exited the large hall without a second look back. Somehow, she knew this would be the last time she would see her mother again.


	3. Chapter 2: The Point of No Return

The Point of No Return

The door closed with a heavy slam, forever echoing in her sad heart.

Suddenly, she felt the fire prince's wife step beside her. Alarmed, the girl stiffened and dropped her gaze. This gesture was something she learned when hanging around your betters. Look them in the eye and you would get burned, literally.

Ursa smiled reassuringly, kneeling beside the girl, "Don't worry. You are safe with me." The child did not relax, despite her gentle words, "What is your name?"

The child reluctantly looked up at Ursa, her amber eyes wide, "Kana, my lady." she replied softly. No one had ever asked Kana her name before. This woman was different, though.

"It is a pleasure, Kana." she cooed, "You don't have to worry anymore, Kana. Your mother will have a job here and you will be taken care of. I believe you will like it here." Kana tensed as the woman grabbed her hand, leading her out of the room and into a massive hallway just outside the main hall, "Are you hungry? The others should be having lunch right about now. I'm sure they would enjoy your company." _Others? _She thought fearfully. She wasn't ready for so many changes. It was still a shock to her that she was able to stay at the royal palace in the first place.

Ursa must have seen the fear in her eyes. "It isn't so bad." she reassured, "They are about your age, at least Azula is." When she said that name, a strange look came over her face then suddenly a nearby door swung open. Kana jumped at the movement and slid between Ursa's legs. _Oh no, oh no, oh no, _Kana shook her head, _They've come for me! _

"Mom! Mom! Mom!" A boy rushed out of the room and came to a halt in front of Ursa. In his hands was a plate full of charred remains. Whatever the meal was, it was too burnt to tell what it was, "Look at what Azula did to my roast duck!" he cried out angrily, "I went to go get some water and she did this! What's her problem?" Ursa folded her arms in the universal motherly way.

"Zuko." She admonished, "We have company." The boy, Zuko, slowly looked at the trembling girl beneath his mother. His golden eyes blinked curiously at her, the annoyance not completely leaving his face.

"Um, hello." he greeted her, sounding quite unsure since Kana was red-eyed and cowering behind his mother. Such a simple greeting yet Kana was too afraid of how to respond. There was so many responses she could have said. How could she know what is the wrong thing to say and what is right? Instead she hid, her lip trembling as she nearly burst into tears. She was so confused and afraid.

Ursa gently moved her from behind her legs and pushed her in front of him, "This is Kana." she smiled at both of them, "She will be living with us for a while as she learns how to become a servant for the royal palace." When she said that, an uncomfortable look came over his face. Kana had seen the look before. When she traveled with her mother to the wealthier areas of the nation, some of the adults there gave them the same look. Her mother described it as awkward segregation, something that naturally happens between the conscious wealthy and the common poor.

But now, she was out in the open, right in front of him. She couldn't think of anything to say. Luckily, just then a young girl stepped out of the room the boy had just run out of. She looked just Kana's age, yet the duplicitous look in her eye said differently. Ursa glanced at the girl, a colder edge in her eyes.

"Azula, this is Kana." she introduced once more, her tone terse. The girl smiled widely, her pearly whites shining as she skipped over to Kana, not after pushing past Zuko and nearly knocking him over. She ignored his seething glare and grabbed Kana's hand. Kana tensed but the girl, Azula, just gave her another smile.

"Hi, Kana!" she greeted sweetly, "That's a pretty name! You want to play? I know a fun game! We can play with my friends Mai and Ty Lee." Too stricken to say anything, Kana just gave the girl a short nod. Encouraged, Azula tightened her grip on Kana's hand and half dragged the girl through the long hallway. She barely heard Ursa's voice as she called, "Azula! Play nice!" What she meant was a mystery to Kana. The girl seemed nice enough.

She was dragged all across the palace for minutes until at last they reached a grassy courtyard at the back of the palace. In the middle of the yard was a luxurious fountain surrounded by lovely rosy pink flowers. The soft tinkling of the fountain reminded her of the sweet sound of the bells by the mausoleums. A slight smile edged at the corner of her lips at the precious scene.

"Mai! Ty Lee! Look what I found!" Resting by a cherry blossom tree were two girls, looking the same age as Kana. They turned at Azula's call and got to their feet. Azula quickly presented Kana to the two girls, "This is Kana. She's learning to become a servant to the royal family, which is me." The two girls murmured their hellos then approached them.

"So, Azula, what are we gonna do with her?" one of the girls asked dully. Kana blinked in confusion. The way she asked that, it scared her. She made it sound like if Kana was their little doll to mess with. As if justifying her fears, Azula pushed her forward roughly.

She smiled deviously, "Actually, Mai, on the way over here, I thought of a game we could play." Azula walked threateningly around the frozen Kana, "I call it 'Fire Run'." The two girls glanced at each other and giggled. _Perhaps I should say something? _She thought to herself.

Kana licked her lips nervously, "I...I don't-" she started weakly.

"Oh don't worry." Azula smiled, though Kana didn't feel very reassured, "You'll catch on quickly."

As if a signal, the two friends took a preparation stance. Azula then leaped backwards and suddenly launched her fist toward the grassy floor. A bright flame erupted from her fist and lit the floor. Smiling even more, she stood straight and lifted both hands high until the flames rose nearly to the height of the roofs. It quickly spread in a wall surrounding the beautiful courtyard.

Kana watched in horror. Azula wanted to kill her, trap her in a fiery death trap. She felt her heart pound painfully as her chances for escaping the fiery trap were slimming, the flames mirroring in her wide eyes.

"Better move fast!" Azula's voice echoed throughout the yard, despite the roar of the growing flames. Kana stumbled backwards, still stunned by the great flames. Out of the corner of her eye, a lithe figure leaped to the side and catapulted across the wall of flames and safely out of this death trap. It was one of Azula's friends, clearly who has played by her rules before.

Azula's other friend faced Kana, her expression completely indifferent to Kana's desperate fear, "You'd better get moving." she warned coldly, then launched herself across the yard and into an area where the wall of flames wasn't so high.

Then she was alone.


End file.
